Manny Pacquiao says he feels so good ahead of his July 19 return against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, he could have three comeback fights instead of just one. That’s the plan, at least. But if the critics are right, and the 46-year-old legend takes a beating from a younger, bigger fighter, the comeback ends before it even starts.
Right now, Pacquiao’s camp is sending all the right signals. He’s pushing through training like he’s still got miles left in the tank. The goal? Win next month, then keep going.
If he pulls it off, he’d not only extend his own record as the oldest welterweight champion ever—he’d also be chasing Bernard Hopkins’ record as the oldest world champion in boxing history. Hopkins was 49. Pacquiao’s got three years to close that gap.
“I think I have two or three more fights left,” Pacquiao told The Ring. “But I’m just taking it one at a time. My goal is to become the oldest champion and retire as champion. This fight is important to me because it’s history. I’d be the first Hall of Famer to win another world title and also break my own record.”
Big ambition, but that’s Pacquiao. He’s defied the odds before—just not after four years off and at an age when most fighters are long retired or broken down.
Barrios Isn’t Showing Up to Lay Down
Barrios, the defending WBC champ, is no fanboy. At 30, he’s in his prime, riding momentum, and he’s got size on his side. The size difference was obvious at the press conference—Barrios is taller, broader, and likely walking around well over the 147-pound limit.
Still, no trash talk. No stunts. Pacquiao smiled through it all. He’s saying he’s back because he missed the game, not because he’s desperate.
“I really missed it,” Pacquiao said. He avoided questions about any next opponent. “One at a time,” he laughed, when asked if Gervonta Davis was on the radar.
Barrios, meanwhile, made his intentions clear. He wants to do what Juan Manuel Marquez did—finish Pacquiao. No guessing. No decisions. A clean shot, lights out.
“I was always a big fan of those Pacquiao-Marquez fights,” Barrios told IFL TV. “Now it’s me facing him. I’m not taking rounds off. It’s kill or be killed in there.”
Barrios isn’t just looking for a win. He wants a statement. His record—29-2-1 with 18 knockouts—says he’s got the power. But this is about more than stats. He wants the kind of ending people remember—and Pacquiao’s name gives him that shot.
Risk vs Legacy
If Barrios lands clean like Marquez did back in 2012, it won’t just be a brutal moment—it’ll spark serious questions about whether Pacquiao should’ve stayed out for good. He’s already done more than enough in the sport. Another bad knockout, though, would hang over everything.
Pacquiao’s legacy is locked in. But this is a dangerous play. Fans want to see him turn back the clock—but boxing doesn’t usually let that happen without a price.
So on July 19, we’ll see if Pacquiao’s got one last push in him—or if Barrios becomes the man who shut the final door on an era.